Saudi Arabia emphasizes limited time left for peaceful two-state solution

September 29, 2010

[Washington, DC] – The official statement of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the General Debate of the Sixty-Fifth Session of the United Nations was distributed on September 25. The statement, issued by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal called for continued humanitarian aid to Pakistan following the devastating floods. In addition, it spoke to a number of security issues, including Saudi Arabia’s aggressive counterterrorism program and the need for a nuclear-free Middle East. However, the statement focused on the Kingdom’s hopes for a peaceful end to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, based on the measures laid out in the Arab Peace Initiative.

In the statement Prince Saud stressed the urgency of ending the Palestinian-Israel conflict, “The moment of truth has come and the crossroads are clearly and plainly visible to us all. This was eloquently expressed by U.S. President Barack Obama when he said that the window for a two-state solution may be closing soon. The consequences of failure this time are too catastrophic to imagine.”

It also called on Israel to respond to the world’s call for peace and agree to the international consensus of the necessity of a two-state solution. In the statement Prince Saud asks Israel to “…restore the rights that have been usurped and abide, like other countries of the world, by the principles of international law and United Nations resolutions, including a complete end to all settlement activities which aim to change facts on the ground and thus jeopardize the peace process and render the negotiations meaningless.”

In addition, the official statement encouraged the United Nations “… to put the principles embodied in the Charter of the United Nations into actual and effective practice in a non-selective manner and without any double standards.” Prince Saud highlighted the Kingdom’s goal that the Middle East, including Israel, be transformed into an area free of all weapons of mass destruction. It also expressed concern that Israel has not agreed to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and pledged Saudi Arabia’s support of a peaceful solution to the Iranian nuclear security problem.

The Kingdom’s statement also discusses the success of Saudi counterterrorism efforts, including Saudi Arabia’s rehabilitation facilities, and offered to share the Kingdom’s expertise in this field to nations looking to establish similar facilities.

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